I think I have my reading set for the rest of the year (am I the only person who does this?). As I'm gearing up to finish tweaking the baseball novel -- which should go fast, as the last 1/3 is pretty smooth compared to the shape my opening was in -- and dive into Sixteen Miles again, I've got some books to read to inspire me.

I doubt I'll get through all of 'em, and I keep wanting to read the last 2 Harry Potter books, and I'll probably read at least one novel in draft format by writing buddies. But I have these books on my writing desk, stacked up and waiting for me:

• The Strange Adventures of Rangergirl, Tim Pratt (my second read -- I was lucky enough to read an early draft of this way back in '03, so I'm looking forward to see what Tim changed!)
• Last Call, Tim Powers (another reread, so I may just skim to get back up to speed)
• Expiration Date, Tim Powers
• Earthquake Weather, Tim Powers
• Widdershins, Charles de Lint
• The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, 19th edition

(I also want to read the latest Rabid Transit as well as Flytrap #5 to inspire me to write that Iowa myth story I've had percolating in my brain for a while.)

I picked up the last book on the list up there yesterday, and of course I had to skim the Honorable Mentions for my name -- I had four of 'em. Well, I shared 1/2 with Tim Pratt, and 1/3 with Tim and Greg van Eekhout, but I'll take 'em!

Honorable mentions include "Black Angels" and "An Outrider's Tale" (both originals from Gunning for the Buddha, which made me happy) along with "California King" with Greg and "Gillian Underground" with Greg and Tim.

Also, Gunning had nice mentions from both Kelly Link and Gavin Grant in the Fantasy writeup -- "leans toward horror but is a first collection with a number of promising stories" -- as well as Ellen Datlow's notes in the Horror section -- "the first collection by a talented young writer who creates characters that behave believably in whatever situation they find themselves." Not bad!

I'll take those compliments and file 'em away in my brain as motivation to keep at this writing gig. Later...